On a Saturday
by A. E. Stover
Summary: AU — Saturdays were her glory days, the days when she was free to do whatever she wished. But the recent addition of two new roommates threw a wrench in all her plans. "Sakura-cha—" "Say my name one more time and I'll rearrange your face with my fist."
1. saturdays are apple picking days, i

**_On a Saturday_**_ (__a collection of saturday morning activities)  
_written by **A. E. Stover  
**this version is **not edited**

.

.

.

* * *

—**WEEK ONE**—  
_saturdays are apple-picking days_

* * *

.

.

.

**Saturday, 6 October 2012  
****5:04 AM**

.

On Saturday mornings, Sakura didn't wake up to the sound of her alarm clock ringing incessantly in her ear. Sakura set her alarm clock off before going to sleep Friday nights after a long week. Saturdays were her rest days, her glory days.

"Sakura-chan. Wake up, Sakura-chan."

It was a day she looked forward to each week, no matter how the rest of her week had gone.

"Nee, _Sakura_-tteba…_"_

Saturdays were days she got out of bed on her own accord, though never before nine AM. She would lounge around in bed for a while, especially during the colder days, with the blankets over her head to block out the sunlight peeking through the blinds at her window.

She would stay in bed, stretching lethargically and just being lazy, until she got too bored and got up. Her morning routine comprised of eating breakfast in her pajamas in front of the TV, letting her bed go unmade, and not caring if she looked horrible because it simply didn't matter.

"_Saaa_kura-_chaaan_. Waaake uuup."

A quick shower would come next and then, around twelve, she went out to grab a bite to eat and go shopping or catch a movie with friends. It was the perfect way to end the week.

Unfortunately, because she had recently gained two roommates — she was sharing her home with two of her friends who were evicted from their apartment — her Saturday plans were slowly being eaten away by stupid ideas. _Naruto's_ stupid ideas.

Like apple picking.

"Sakura-cha―"

"Say my name one more time and I'll rearrange your face with my fist_."_

"But we gotta leave by six if we wanna beat traffic. Otherwise, we'll be on that road for ever and ever and ever and―"

A hand shot out from underneath the blanket and slapped over Naruto's face. Sakura lifted her head from under her pillow. "What are you doing in my room?" she finally hissed, a glare promising instant death pinned on the blond currently crouched at the side of her bed.

"Uh…" Naruto was at a loss for words, staring at her furious face with a blank look. He inched away at the frightening glint that shone in her green eyes.

The lioness rose from her warm den and roared. _"Get out!"_

Alarmed, Naruto gave a terrified cry before scrambling to his feet and running out. The door slammed behind him, and all was quiet. Until―

"_Dobe."_

"_Shut up, Sasuke! Why don't _you_ try waking her up?"_

"_No."_

"_But we gotta wake her up if we're gonna go! And we gotta go nooow! Come ooon, Sasukeeee! She likes you the most! Come oooon!"_

At Naruto's incessant whining, Sakura screamed into her pillow.

Naruto stopped whining.

Sakura was satisfied.

.

.

.


	2. saturdays are apple picking days, ii

**_On a Saturday_**_ (a collection of saturday morning activities)  
_written by **A. E. Stover  
**this version is **not edited**

.

.

.

* * *

—**WEEK ONE**—  
_saturdays are apple-picking days, part ii_

* * *

.

.

.

**Saturday, 6 October 2012  
****8:25 AM**

.

"The next time we come here," Sakura spoke, her muffled voice sounding from inside the van, "_I'm_ driving." The passenger door opened and Sakura pushed herself off the seat and onto the ground. Her face was scrunched up and she looked a little green.

"_If _we come back," Sasuke corrected as he emerged from the vehicle. He pinched the bridge of his nose with one hand and rubbed at his temples with the other. He slid the side door shut and sighed, leaning against it.

"Stop whining ― we _got _here didn't we?" Naruto demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Can't a guy get any credit?" He looked at his friends who were both leaning against the side of the car and looking as if they had just gotten off one heck of a roller coaster. Their hair stuck out in weird places and their faces were rather pale and haggard-looking.

All in all, they looked like crap.

"C'mon ― there are trees to climb and apples to pick," Naruto declared before running off in a random direction up the side of the orchard grounds.

With a heavy sigh, Sasuke pulled out the small bundle of plastic bags he had received from the orchard workers on their way into the orchards and tried unsuccessfully in his disoriented state to peel them apart.

Sakura snatched the plastic bags from Sasuke and tore two of them from the bundle. "Here," she said stiffly, forcing them into Sasuke's calloused hands and stuffing the rest into the front pouch of her red sweatshirt. "Go suffocate him to death and bring his head back to me," she said bitterly, tying her messy hair back and throwing her hood over her head.

Sasuke shrugged indifferently and watched the female of their group crawl back into the van. The door slid shut with a mechanic swoosh and locked in place. Sasuke walked in the direction where Naruto took off, shoved his hands into the pockets of his navy parka, and sighed heavily.

It was gonna be a _long _day.

.

.

.


	3. saturdays are apple picking days, iii

**_On a Saturday_**_ (a collection of saturday morning activities)  
_written by **A. E. Stover  
**this version is **not edited**

.

.

.

* * *

—**WEEK ONE**—  
_saturdays are apple-picking days, part iii_

* * *

.

.

.

**Saturday, 6 October 2012  
****8:50 AM**

.

Naruto sat himself at the top of the tree and reached over to pluck a round, red apple from the branches. He tossed it down to Sasuke, who caught it and dumped it into the plastic bag. Naruto reached for another one and tossed it down. Sasuke caught it and packed it away.

Pluck, toss, catch, pack. Pluck, toss, catch, pack. It was done in a rhythmic manner, the silence surrounding them a comfortable one.

Their bag was filling up quickly with juicy red apples, thanks to Naruto's meticulous selecting. Sasuke caught each fruit that flung in his direction. He didn't seem to have a problem with Naruto's haphazard throwing. He decided that he'd much rather deal with that than sit on top of a tree like an idiotic monkey plucking and flinging fruit to the ground.

In a matter of minutes, they heard the grass rustle and branches creak. Splotches of red and pink moved closer and closer, and Sakura soon emerged from the foliage — with a bag full of large, plump Jona-Goldens.

"Where'd you find those?" Naruto asked incredulously. "I've been looking everywherefor them."

Sakura set the bag down on the grass and pulled up her hood. "Over there, on the other side where we parked our car." She shoved her hands into the front pouch of her sweatshirt.

Naruto scowled, in mid-reach for another apple. "There weren't any apples in those trees," he said matter-of-factly.

"The colors blend in with the leaves ― you had to crouch and look carefully."

"I _did _look carefully."

"You weren't even there for five minutes." From her tone, one could guess that she was growing impatient.

"How would you know? Weren't you in the van?" Naruto jumped down from his perch on the tree to join his friends on the ground.

Sakura's only response was a withering look.

Naruto pouted again, sticking his face in Sakura's. "Aw, Sakura-chan," he started, "don't be so mean to me. We're here to have fun, right?"

There was a snap in the comfortable atmosphere with the tense silence that followed. Elsewhere, families and groups of friends went their ways, chatting and walking with ease in a world that seemed to be outside their own. The trio stood in the orchards stock-still, Naruto and Sasuke staring cautiously at Sakura, who started to develop an unnatural glint in her eyes.

"Fun?" she finally echoed quietly.

Naruto wisely stepped back from her.

Sasuke maintained his good distance away from the two, feeling the last strings of relaxation snap and pull away. He focused, instead, on a lone bee darting back and forth from Naruto and Sakura's bright hair. Should he tell them, he wondered?

"Have _fun?"_ Sakura grabbed the front collar of Naruto's shirt.

Probably not, Sasuke told himself. At least, not now.

"I have _midterms _this week!" Sakura continued hysterically. "And is being chased by cops on the highway your idea of _having fun?"_

Sasuke cleared his throat, but he went ignored. Despite her erratic arm movements, the bee had begun to gravitate closer and closer to Sakura's bright pink hair. It landed on top of her head, and started to trek its way down before sinking beneath the folds of her red hood and her hair.

"Why would you even do one-twenty in a sixty-five zone? And I didn't even get to straighten my hair properly because you dragged me out of the house at six in the morning! Who goes apple-picking at six in the morning?"

Sasuke cleared his throat again. "Sakura."

Sakura whipped her head back to glare at him. _"What?"_ she hissed.

"A bee just flew into your sweater."

Sakura yanked her hoodie off with a maddening scream. She howled furiously and beat the ground with her sweatshirt in a frenzy, the two boys watching soundlessly as she collapsed on the ground in hysterics.

There were people all around them, all of them silent and frightened by the hysterical tantrum Sakura had thrown. Though used to the girl's flaring temper, Sasuke and Naruto couldn't help but feel disturbed at her psychotic episode and exchanged uneasy glances.

Sakura sat on her shins on the ground, in nothing but a thin, white long-sleeved shirt and faded blue jeans. She was breathing heavily and staring at the red sweater turned inside-out on the grass, watching as a bee crawled out from underneath and dizzily flew away. Slowly, she collected whatever was left of her composure and stood up to fix herself up as best as she could.

Just as Sakura brushed off the dirt and grass off her clothes, Naruto opened his mouth to let his stupidity fly out of it; "Are you on your period?"

Sakura ripped her hair clip off and hurled it at Naruto. It hit his face and he yelped, reaching with both hands to his forehead with a whine as Sakura picked up her sweatshirt from the ground, shook it free of dirt and grass, and left the group to head back to the car.

Sasuke silently picked up both bags of apples― the red and yellow ―and followed Sakura.

After coughing with embarrassment, Naruto quickly followed suit.

.

.

.


	4. saturdays are apple picking days, iv

**_On a Saturday_**_ (a collection of saturday morning activities)  
_written by **A. E. Stover  
**this version is **not edited**

.

Seeing how it is nigh impossible for me to even _**log into**** my account**_, updates will not be going as quickly as I'd liked them to. On another note, isn't it great that you can now have an option to choose different avatars to use on the forums? I think that's a wonderful idea. Do you know what else would be a wonderful idea? **IF THEY'D FIX THE GODDAMN ISSUE USERS ARE HAVING WITH LOGGING IN.** Don't you think that'd be just a splendid idea?

.

.

.

* * *

—**WEEK ONE**—  
_saturdays are apple-picking days, part iv_

* * *

.

.

.

**Saturday, 6 October 2012  
****9:14 AM**

.

"I don't see any," Naruto protested with a hint of a whine.

Sakura looked over at Naruto from where she stood and just sighed. "Most of them were either picked up already or dropped to the ground. But if you look around carefully, you can still find a few hanging near the bottom or deep inside."

"Found 'em," Sasuke called out suddenly.

Sakura brightened up. "See?" she said, looking triumphant. "Just try harder, Naruto." Sakura walked to where Sasuke was with a plastic bag in hand. After a thermos of hot coffee, Sakura seemed to have settled her nerves.

"Yeah, yeah…" No sooner had he spoken dismissively when Naruto suddenly eyed a round golden-yellow apple on the ground. He gingerly picked it up and looked it over. He straightened up with a satisfied grin, hitting the back of his head on a low hanging branch as he did. He scowled and rubbed the back of his head. He wiped off the dirt on the side of the apple and inspected it more carefully.

"Did you just pick that up from the ground?" Sakura asked him incredulously, watching him wipe the apple off on his pants leg. Flecks of dirt rubbed onto the fabric of his jeans but he didn't seem to care.

"So?" Naruto countered. "It looks just fine." He held up the apple to prove his statement. He brought it back to his face, catching the multiple, tiny black and brown dots on the side of the apple. He wrinkled his nose. "Well, except for this little part here."

Sakura grimaced at the dark dots on the side of the apple, a clear sign that it had once been a meal for bugs.

Whistling a cheery tune, Naruto plucked his pocket knife from his belt and peeled away the skin. He cut away the bug-eaten areas and turned the apple over to cut out a piece from the untouched portion. He offered one to Sakura, who gave him a blank look.

"You really expect me to eat _that_?" she asked in disbelief.

"Hey, if a bug ate it then it _must _be good." Naruto took the piece into his mouth. He relished the feel of the cold juices in his mouth as his teeth crunched into the white flesh. With an approving nod, he cut out another piece and walked over to where Sasuke was. Before the moody member of the group could protest, Naruto shoved it into his mouth. "Eat ― you need the extra calories anyway, you skinny bastard," he said and marched away.

Sasuke gave Naruto a dark look, but chewed and swallowed it anyway much to Sakura's chagrin. He picked up the half-filled plastic bag and followed their blond idiot. She stared at them and shook her head. "Boys," she muttered at last, shoving her hands into the front pouch of her sweater again.

.

.

.


	5. saturdays are apple picking days, v

**_On a Saturday_**_ (a collection of saturday morning activities)  
_written by **A. E. Stover  
**this version is **not edited**

.

.

.

—**WEEK ONE**—  
_saturdays are apple-picking days, part v_

.

.

.

**Saturday, 6 October 2012  
****10:20 AM**

.

"I'm hungry."

Sasuke watched Sakura as she attempted to pluck one of the apples from a branch higher up. "Sakura. Don't pull too hard."

"I'm hungry."

Sakura eyed the cluster of golden yellow apples above her target and scowled. Her small hand wrapped around the plump fruit and she bit her lip. She pulled back gently, holding onto the branch with her free arm.

"I'm _hungry."_

She pulled a little too hard and three apples tumbled down to greet her head.

"I'm hun ― oh, are you okay, Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke watched wordlessly as Naruto was pelted with golden apples ― i_their/i _apples. He sighed and shoved his hands deeper into the pockets of his blue parka. Some relaxing Saturday this was turning out to be.

.

.

.


	6. saturdays are apple picking days, vi

**_On a Saturday_**_ (a collection of saturday morning activities)  
_written by **A. E. Stover  
**this version is **not edited**

.

.

.

—**WEEK ONE**—  
_saturdays are apple-picking days, part vi_

.

.

.

**Saturday, 6 October 2012  
****10:38 AM**

.

_"Itadakimaaaasu!"_

Sasuke drank some of the broth from the small plastic bowl in his hands as Sakura ladled some of the instant ramen into her own. He immediately frowned in displeasure when Naruto began inhaling his food at an ungodly speed.

"Naruto, slow down," Sakura chided absentmindedly. "You'll choke."

"Saakuwa-chaan," Naruto spoke through a mouth full of noodles, "ha'f I ev'a t'oked befo'e?"

"No, but I'll make sure you do if you don't eat normally," Sakura responded in deadpan as she picked up a pair of chopsticks.

Before Naruto could whine, Sasuke spoke up; "Is that a squirrel going through your bag, Sakura?"

Silence.

Both boys watched silently as Sakura started screaming and throwing pebbles and – once again – their apples at the open car door. The small brown rodent chattered noisily and wildly scurried this way and that before finally jumping ship and high-tailing it out of there.

Sakura breathed heavily from her seat on the blanket, her face furious and red.

"…You dented the van."

Sakura turned and gave Naruto a dark look. "I'll put a dent in your face if you don't _shut up!" _She screamed, rising to her feet and shaking her fists.

Naruto yelped and leaned back, raising his arms defensively in front of him. He settled down when he realized that Sakura was making her way back to the car, muttering incoherently under her breath.

The door to their van slid shut noisily and loudly.

Naruto stared at his bowl before beginning to eat again, shoving noodles into his mouth as fast as he can.

For a moment, a comfortable silence wrapped around the two remaining friends. Naruto and Sasuke ate quickly and quietly, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Naruto finished first and sighed contently, leaning back. Then, turning to face Sasuke, who was still eating, with a serious look, he said; "Yep. She's definitely on her period. Man, I'm happy I'm not a girl. I don't need to deal with blood and shit oozing out of a vagina and stuff."

Sasuke had opened his mouth when Naruto spoke. His appetite diminished rapidly and he shut his mouth. He scowled darkly and quickly shot Naruto a baleful look before setting his small plastic bowl of ramen down and heading to the car.

Naruto stared aghast as his male friend. "You're not finishing this?" he asked with a clueless look on his face. At the glare he received from Sasuke, Naruto scoffed and crossed his arms. "What, is the princess on _his _period too?"

Sasuke promptly tipped his tin of instant ramen over Naruto's head, the remaining contents spilling onto the blond's hair and clothes. Then, Sasuke stood and left to join Sakura in their van.

.

.

.


	7. saturdays are apple picking days, vii

_**On a Saturday**__ (a collection of saturday morning activities)  
_written by **A. E. Stover  
**this version is **not edited**

.

.

.

—**WEEK ONE**—  
_saturdays are apple-picking days, part vii_

.

.

.

**Saturday, 6 October 2012  
****11:43 AM**

.

The stench of horse manure and mud coupled with the sound of children shrieking and laughing was what they would remember the country fair set up at the bottom of the orchard grounds by most of all. Overpriced hotdogs and cider were on sale at an old shack, its red paint peeling off the wooden boards. A gift shop stood next to it, packed with little trinkets and items that were useless.

For reasons she could not begin to fathom, the dingy fair was packed with people, children and parents alike, and Sakura could feel the beginnings of a headache form the minute a muddied child ran to her in the confusion to call her "obasan."

Sasuke had to restrain her to keep the child safe.

Naruto saw to it that the little boy was brought back safely to a middle-aged woman and her husband, and came back with a hotdog the boy's father had bought him. He couldn't have looked more happier with that hotdog in his hand, his face alight with a big grin.

"You just ate," said Sakura, still feeling moody and in need of some way to vent.

"A growing boy's gotta eat," he said with a shrug, taking a bite out of his hotdog.

.

.

.


End file.
